Mechanical circulatory support devices are used to assist the pumping action of the heart. A mechanical circulatory support device typically includes a pump having pump housing and a moveable element, most typically a rotor, disposed within the pump housing to impel blood through the housing. The pump is implanted within a patient with an inlet of the housing in communication with one portion of the patient's cardiovascular system and an outlet of the housing in communication with another portion of the cardiovascular system. For example, to assist the pumping action of the left ventricle, the inlet of the pump may be in communication with the interior of the left ventricle, whereas the outlet of the pump may be in communication with the aorta. One form of blood pump includes a tubular pump housing having a rotor coaxial with the housing. The rotor desirably incorporates a permanent magnet. A stator including a plurality of electrical coils is arranged around the exterior of the pump housing. In operation, electrical power is applied to the coils in sequence so as to create a rotating magnetic field within the housing. The rotating field interacts with the magnet incorporated in the rotor so as to spin the rotor about its axis and thus force blood through the pump housing. As disclosed in U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2009/0112312 (“the '312 Publication”), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, it is been proposed to implant the pump within the aorta of a living subject. Pumps of this general type typically are made as permanent assemblies, with the elements of the stator fixed in position on the outside of the pump housing during manufacture and with the entire assembly enclosed within a sealed outer housing.